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This is my new favorite phenology spot. I’m now capturing this solitary walnut tree, which is located on the drive into Bernheim, on a regular basis. These two shots were, respectively, September 12 and October 3rd, 2014. I still have much love for my older photographic subjects but I really like the way these shots capture the tree, the grassland, and the tree line in the distance. I’m hoping there is a good bit of information that will be captured here that might be used in some way in the future. And I can’t wait to see this tree through the winter months. This has been one of the highest mast production years in memory. The walnuts, persimmons, pecans, hickories, dogwoods, oaks and others have been pumping out the fruit/seeds this year. Fecund.

I worked with Valerie Magnuson and Lilias Pettit-Scott to fill their new raised beds today (10-8-14). These two women are community champions. Need more like em. Check out Louisville Grows website HERE.

One of the first posts on this blog was of a lilac bud about ready to burst forth. It was posted on March 16th 2013. In that post I promised to keep track of that plant from year to year. Here’s a post making good on that promise. I’m not sure what this tells about the difference between last year and this if anything. But over time, perhaps a story will emerge. Both pictures were taken on March 16th. The first in 2013 and the second in 2014.

As I sit creating this post the weather forecast calls for dropping temperatures into the 20s with 1-2 inches of snow on the way. Yesterday was beautiful with highs in the mid 50s and humidity in the low 50s. Good burn weather.

Every year someone sets the small native grassland that is established in my backyard on fire. Ecologically that is a good thing. But it’s also against the law. Sure wish I knew who it was that keeps doing that. Jesus would forgive him but the Justice System probably wouldn’t.

The current artist-in-residence at Bernheim is Mei Ling Hom. Her web page is HERE. She’s currently working on a sculpture that will be set up in the Edible Garden along a sweeping walkway that goes from the arbor to the raised growing beds. It involves creating around 50 individual “dits” and “dahs” that make up Morse Code. Each “dit” will be filled with soil and planted with a lavender plant. Each “dah” will be planted with a row of European garlic. The roots of the plants will be inoculated with Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungiwhich will form a relationship with the plant that, in theory, will allow the plants to grow better than they would without the fungi. As the sculptural piece rots over time they will leave the soil beneath them in better shape than before. This concept of regenerative design is part of the larger garden design considerations. Here’s some pictures of the pieces in production. I’ll post pictures of the sculpture in place later. Mei Ling’s partner, Dave, is instrument in all of this happening.

As is my custom (actually addiction) I’ve got my eyes on a short list of plants and vistas that I follow closely in the spring. Here’s two photos of the buds on two of my index trees. Both are at Bernheim. The first is a butternut (Juglans cineria) and the second is an Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra). I take frequent pictures of both of these as I track the timing of their development each year. These pictures were taken on 3-14-14.